[Glisson]

I know you got some excellent advise from the other members already and you have probably also read my thread re 1:18 Bugattis.
1:18 is the scale I go for purely because the larger models seem more realistic although there are ranges where the 1:43 have a lot more detail. For these you pay dearly! A 1:43 Franklin Mint could cost you more than a Autoart 1:18 and they're not cheap. Then you could go AMC in 1:18 and pay through your neck, but remember you're paying for detail and very obvious quality.
I live 8000 km away from the nearest model manufacturers! That being Italy!
If I can't find a model in S.A. I am forced to go web.
Whilst I'd be reluctant to buy from private sources, I found that a lot of the more reputable scale retailers are listed with Ebay. Go to the related sites and normallly you'll also find street address postings. I have to rely on friends or relatives visiting abroad to shop on my behalf.
The Maisto EB110 Dauer that was released in the middle of last year is still not in S.A.
Thank goodness my nephew is enroute to Germany on the weekend and I might have one in it's reserved spot by end next week. Crazy Huh!

If you can't afford the real thing have a dozen in scale!